Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. John Robert Paul nadir shahjahaaNpuri (1890-1963) was born in a Christian missionary family. He chose to continue to live in India and composed extensively in urdu with a full-fledged divan of nearly 400 Ghazal to his name. Also see his hamd and n’aat-e maseehi posted on this site. This Ghazal is one of several that he composed in the zamin of Ghalib, this one in the zamin of “saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN”.
1
mar mar ke jii raha huN maiN ahd¹-e shabaab² meN
hai meri zindagi se ajal³ izteraab⁴ meN  1.times, period 2.youth 3.death 4.restless, eager
‘mar mar ke jiina’ or ‘jiine ke liye marna’ is equivalent to saying ‘I kill myself just to survive i.e., life is miserable and a constant struggle only to keep body and soul together. This is what is happening to the shaa’er in the time his youth. Because of this, Death is eagerly waiting to grab him, either because he is vulnerable or Death considers his life so useless that it is getting ready to take him away.
2
dil izteraab¹ meN hai jigar² izteraab meN
ishq³-e butaaN⁴ se jaan paRi hai azaab⁵ meN  1.restlessness 2.liver-seat of fortitude 3.love 4.idols, beautiful damsels 5.torment, anguish
The heart is the seat of love and the liver the seat of fortitude to bear the torture of love. But now both of these have been afflicted and are restless. Why? Because of the yearning for the beloved. His life has become a constant anguish.

3
darya¹-e zindagi ka hai naqsha² habaab³ meN
taa’biir⁴-e Khwaab⁵ dekh raha huN maiN Khwaab meN  1.sea, river 2.map, plan, sketch 3.bubble 4.interpretation 5.dream
A bubble with its short, transitory life reflects the “river/flow/nature of life”. I see the interpretation/meaning of my life in a dream i.e. the ‘river of life’ itself is like a dream/illusion/maaya.
4
maana¹ keh din ko aaNkh paRegi har ek ki
kya Dar hai shab² ko tum jo chale aao Khwaab³ meN    1.agree, accept 2.night 3.dream
This is addressed to the beloved, who is perennially afraid to visit the poet/admirer/suitor for fear that others will see her. Thus, I accept that during the day, someone or the other will be able to see you (aaNkh paRegi). What is the fear if you were to come to me during the night, in my dreams i.e., she has avoided appearing even in his dreams and he wants to know why.
5
saabit¹ hai saaf² mus’hif³-e ruKhsaar⁴-e yaar⁵ se
y’aani⁶ vafa⁷ ka harf⁸ nahiN is kitaab meN     1.proven 2.clearly 3.book 4.cheeks, face 5.beloved 6.meaning 7.fidelity 8.word
The face of the beloved is like an open book. The shaa’er can read it clearly. He cannot see the word, ‘fidelity’ anywhere in this book. That means she is not going to be true to him, is not going to keep her word.
6
beshak¹ mera qusoor² hai, aye but³ Khafa⁴ na ho
sar rakh diya hai dar⁵ pe tere izteraab⁶ meN  1.without a doubt 2.mistake 3.idol, beloved 4.offended, angry 5.door, sill 6.restlessness
The poet/admirer/suitor is restless and in his extreme anguish has placed his forehead on her doorsill. He knows that he is not supposed to do that, and the beloved is angry with him. He pleads – without a doubt this was my mistake, but I placed my forehead on your doorsill only because of extreme anguish. Do not be offended O beloved.
7
Khushki¹, tari² jahaaN³ ki haiN donoN nazar-fareb⁴
darya⁵ meN hai saraab⁶, keh darya saraab meN
1.dry 2.wet 3.world 4.deceptive, deceiving to the eyes 5.sea, river, water 6.mirage
All that you see, whether it is dry land or water, is an illusion, a deceptive image. You cannot tell if the water that you see is a mirage or the mirage you see is really water.
8
tiir-e nigaah¹-e naaz² na phaiNko meri taraf³
raKhne⁴ na Daal deN ye tumhaare naqaab⁵ meN    1.glance 2.coquetry, teasing playfulness 3.towards 4.cracks, tears 5.veil
The beloved is veiled but even through the veil is casting teasing/playful sidelong glances at the poet/lover. These are sharp enough to wound his heart so they might cause tears/rips in her veil!
9
daaGh¹-e jigar² ke saath mujhe daaGh-e dil diye
lag jaayeN chaar-chaand³ tere inteKhaab⁴ meN   1.wound 2.liver 3.an expression meaning-multiplied brilliance/beauty 4.selection, choice
The heart is the seat of love and the liver the seat of fortitude. Not only is his heart smitten/wounded but also his fortitude has succumbed to the coquetry of the beloved. Traditionally, wounds/scars shine like lamps or blossom like flowers. In this case they shine like lamps and their brilliance is doubled/quadrupled because both the heart and the liver are wounded. He praises the choice/skill of the beloved.
10
naadir¹ Khuda hi Khair² kare us nigaah³ ki
jo misl⁴-e barq⁵ kaund⁶ rahi hai sahaab⁷ meN     naadir¹ Khuda hi Khair² kare us nigaah³ ki
jo misl⁴-e barq⁵ kaund⁶ rahi hai sahaab⁷ meN
1.pen-name of the poet 2.safeguard, protect 3.glance 4.similar to 5.lightning 6.flashing 7.cloud
The beloved is veiled. The veil is like a dark cloud. But her glance shines through the veil like lightning flashing in clouds. May god safeguard that glance, prays the poet. While he seems to be praying for the well being of the ‘nigaah’ it could well imply that he is really praying for the safety of the target of that ‘nigaah’.